The Sky Sports company has revealed a number of new facets to their coverage of the 2012 Formula One season, including dullard details of improved sound coverage, and an extensive interactive channel service during races.
Sky will show all 20 races live in 2012, following a controversial rights-sharing deal with free-to-air broadcasters BBC.
From the start of the season, the pay TV giant will show races live on their new Sky Sports F1 HD channel, and as the season nears are throwing more and more teasers out about their coverage.
Recently the team confirmed that they would establish an interactive 'Race Control' service during races, allowing viewers to flick between onboard feeds and a rubbish-sounding 'Pit Channel'.
"What we are going to do is take F1 as a sport and offer different ways of seeing it, be it by on-board cameras or with the data tracker that tells you where the cars are," explained the channel's executive producer Martin Turner.
"We will also be offering a live 'Pit Channel'...to see what's going on there, because there's always something going on in the pits even without the cars being there."
Sky's 'head of projects' Owen Williams added that: "In effect, you can be the race director, you can direct the race yourself.
"It gives an offering that, quite frankly, the BBC couldn't rival."
Ignoring the issue of whether or not any fan actually wants to direct coverage of the race themselves, rather than letting a director do it, the channel also announced a new surround sound experience.
The new Sky Sports F1 channel will use 'Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound' along with their high definition pictures, something Sky bosses were unnecessarily pleased about on Monday.
"For the first time, viewers can hear the drama of F1 as well as see it," Turner bragged, "The stunning HD pictures will now be matched by stunning Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound audio that will help take our viewers trackside."
New Sky commentator Martin Brundle added: "F1 in Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound is seriously impressive.
"It's so much closer to the real experience from inside the cockpit or being at the side of the racetrack.
"It even picks up atmosphere from the crowd and I'm confident the viewer will notice a much greater intensity and spectacle."
Sky is ploughing a huge amount of resources into the sport, with the new channel set to go head-to-head with the BBC for ten race weekends in 2012.
Although the Beeb has lost exclusivity for F1 coverage, the broadcaster will still cover ten of 2012's races live, showing the remaining races as highlights.
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